Prateek Biswas is the primary EV & Battery Supply Chain Service analyst responsible for analysing the automotive market. His main research focus is around future OEM strategies related to fleet-wide emission reduction, raw material supply chain restructuring and supply chain decarbonization. He previously worked as a vehicle materials and components market analyst at IHS Markit as well as an EV product development engineer for Jaguar Land Rover. Prateek received his MSc in Automotive Engineering at Cranfield University where he specialised in developing next-generation energy recovery and power discharge systems for high-performance battery-electric vehicles.

Sam Houston is a Business Executive in the mining industry, renowned for his pivotal roles at Rio Tinto and Eldorado Gold. With over 25 years in the industry he has delivered projects in every continent in the world except for Antarctica. With a commitment to people, sustainability, and technology, Sam has had a remarkable career delivering resilient growth strategies for enduring success. He is a seasoned change leader, well-versed in navigating growth environments, transforming underperforming portfolios into profitable enterprises, orchestrating stakeholder collaboration and developing high-performance teams. Sam's rich technical background in strategy and delivery is complemented by his functional expertise spanning strategy, leadership, business change, sustainability, digitalisation, and diversity and inclusion. As an entrepreneur, Sam has successfully launched Strategist Solutions, his own advisory practice, further showcasing his future focused, innovative spirit and dedication to driving industry progress and development. Sam holds a an engineering degree, a Master’s in Business Strategy and Leadership from Cranfield University in the UK, and various certifications including the Wharton Business School. Sam's contributions to the mining sector and his entrepreneurial endeavours make him an invaluable addition to our session, where we explore the intersection of technology, sustainability, people and major projects in the mining industry.

I study the social and political dimensions of resource extraction to inform dialogue, and policy- and decision-making. At UEF, I am examining the geopolitical and socio-environmental aspects of energy transition minerals from a global perspective, and the urban sustainability responsibilities emerging from energy transition mineral demand for mobility electrification. My previous posting was as Senior Research Fellow in the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Development Minerals Program, where I oversaw the establishment of an online knowledge exchange network for ASM miners and quarry workers – the Delve Exchange. My doctoral thesis dealt with Indigenous community participation in post-conflict mineral resource governance in Colombia. As part of this, I was a Visiting Endeavour Fellow at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Subsequently, I was a Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. I held Research Fellow and Research Manager roles at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, where I worked on a broad suit of topics focusing on Latin American and Australian sites. I have been a consultant to NGOs and mining companies providing specialist knowledge and advisory services in connection to mining and development projects.

Rob Williamson is the Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer at Alpha HPA, with nearly 25 years’ experience in large facility operations and executive leadership. His pragmatic approach and strategic acumen have been instrumental in propelling the company's vertical integration strategy for advanced materials, contributing significantly to the decarbonisation of the tech sector. Rob is passionate about instilling a culture of accountability both in “what we do and how we treat each other” and sees it as a key to the success of any business.